With 70 percent of physicians saying their organization plans to use telehealth long-term following the COVID-19 pandemic, there are ways to reevaluate and improve how ASCs offer telehealth services to patients, according to a Feb. 28 report from the American Medical Association.
Five ways to improve telehealth, per the AMA:
1. Decide which services to offer via telehealth. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians have started to understand which services work well virtually, and which are best offered in person. Some telehealth services are payable under Medicare and some are not.
2. Pick the right platform. Switch to a telehealth platform that supports all needs of the physician, whether it be audio-only or audio and video.
3. Understand relevant laws and policies. This includes billing rules, privacy laws, medical licensure, informed consent, prescribing, quality reporting and liability.
4. Develop team-based workflows. Telehealth workflows should mirror in-person workflows. A "doctor does it all'' model is not sustainable.
5. Assess and optimize. Engage telehealth champions and early adopters to assess successes and failures.